D’Tigress in limbo as NSC can’t find funds for Afrobasket
D’Tigress’ ability to defend their African Nations Cup (Afrobasket) is on a shaky note as the African champions are going to Abidjan for the competition in a manner that they have never done in the past 10 years. As of the weekend, nobody in the Nigeria Basketball Federation or the supervisory National Sports Commission could give a specific date of departure for the national team, with the event taking the tip-off on July 26.
We learned from the authority that the NSC has not been able to provide the flight tickets for a trip to the Ivory Coast, and that is the reason the NBBF cannot give the host or FIBA Africa a specific itinerary for the team.
“There is no fund yet, but of course, we are the defending champions, and so the whole world knows that we will be there,” a member of the federation said.
The check through the programmes of the NBBF showed that the NSC was scheduled to release funds for the 2025 Afrobasket in May, ahead of the naming of the squad. This was to enable the Federation to get the players’ tickets to Abuja for the camping and tournament, designed as a part of their training schedule. The NBBF could not hold any camping in the USA, as they had always done, as the NSC leadership insisted that D’Tigress should camp in Abuja. The Nigerian women are already a month behind the original schedule for their camping. The NBBF is now in panic mode as they watch the African title possibly slip into the hands of countries like Senegal or Mali, who have been in camp for long periods.
“My concern is that a few new players are getting into the team and bringing up the matter of team chemistry. It is better if the players blend before the tournament begins rather than use the first three matches to get to know themselves. The coach has deployed a few things here and there to help the team build up, but like being together on the same court. It’s a tough one psychologically, especially when the players look across and see what the Senegalese are doing.”
It is indeed a very critical period for the NBBF and the national teams’ funding, which has left the NSC quite stretched and seemingly helpless. Apart from the African U18 and U20 athletics competition starting in Abeokuta this week, the basketball federation alone has three international competitions in July and August. The Women’s U19 team won their opening game against China on Saturday in the Czech Republic. The NBBF flagship team D”Tigress are billed to start their event in Abidjan by the end of the month, while the men, D’Tigers, will be in Angola in August for Afrobasket men.
The women’s Afrobasket in Abidjan is the first stage of the qualifiers for the FIBA Women’s World Cup.
